1848 – The Five Days of Milan.
The city is besieged by Austrian troops and an irrepressible impetus overwhelms the Milanese. Fighting has been going on for days now and bells are ringing so vehemently that some even end up breaking! Barricades everywhere, built with whatever happens: closets, chairs, barrels, carriages… there is no shortage even of church pews.
And meanwhile it rains everything from the windows: food, boiling oil, blunt objects, and you name it.
A way must be found as soon as possible to communicate with the countryside and neighboring towns, to attack the enemy from behind. A priest from the Porta Venezia Seminary, but who did not hesitate to take up his rifle and climb the barricades, will take care of that. He is Antonio Stoppani, who in a short time builds balloons made of paper, glue and ropes containing messages for the countryside outside the city: “Take up arms against the enemy by preventing all supply of weapons and food.”
The intuition, as simple as it is ingenious, leads to the hoped-for effect, and the Milanese, with the help of the new fighters, soon manage to surround the enemy!
Today, a relic of this incredible feat, one of the very messages that flew out of the city on that distant March 1848 remains at the Museum of the Risorgimento in Milan.
Another important example, which it seems more necessary than ever to remember today, of how only united we can achieve great things!
Did you like this story?
If you’d like, click one of the icons below, leave a small review, and help us grow and improve!
Thank you!
